Matchbox Three
by Rather Not
Summary: Three children, each armed with a goal that will inevitably carry them forward. They know of nothing more important than these halcyon afternoons and each other's smile, and so time asserts its presence. Drabbles, AU, happyverses.


_one._ extreme glue.

"I want you to reconsider. Konoha University is offering you a full scholarship. We're talking about one of the most prestigious universities in Konoha, and for some unfathomable reason, they _like you._" A pause. "Only an idiot would decline, you realize,"

"Again, no." His stare is unwavering, his tone determined.

Tsunade sighs; they've been at this for half an hour. "Naruto, you're not thinking. This is an opportunity. For your future. KU is renowned for its --"

"No. I've done my homework. KU is seven hours away, and unless everyone's coming with me, my decision is final."

"Your friends would want what's best for you."

"What's best for me is staying here, by my friends."

Tsunade stares at him impassively, for she knows Naruto, the dedication he has towards his friends and his heavy reliance on his heart. She knows about his past and his present, his friends and his family. But she also knows that she shouldn't allow Naruto to pass up on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so she does not relent. At least, not this easily.

Her mouth settles into a thin line.

She glances over Naruto's shoulder at the door to her office, where she is certain two ears are firmly pressed to the door. This is impossible, she thinks, and bites at her lips. A sudden dullness smothers her heart, climbs up her throat. This is guilt, she knows. This is necessary. This is life.

And life teaches you to lose. She swallows.

Naruto is bouncing his leg impatiently, arms crossed and expression firm. His closed-off demeanor makes her hand itch for a bottle of sake -- to hell with the kid and opportunities, she wants to think; instead, she leans forward on her elbows and stares at Naruto into submission. Hard.

He does not flinch.

"I know," he begins, "that KU might help me pursue my dreams. Trust me, I know exactly what that entails." He falls silent, and for a second, his stare falls to the ground. It is unlike him, and the pull of sympathy knocks deeply into her heart.

"Go on,"

It takes only a moment for him to regain his composure and the fire is back in his eyes. "But I'm not leaving my friends. Fine, call me stupid, foolish, whatever – I know I can become great in the future; I won't stop chasing my goal just because of some school. As long as I'm with my friends, I'll be okay."

And then it is silent. And there it is, Naruto at his purest. Not the goofy, disobedient boy she'd first heard of, this is Naruto and his strength, the something special within Naruto that makes her want to follow everything he says. More than that, she believes in him, believes that these children are the future.

Quiet whispers wrinkles the firm silence, ("Can you hear them? What do you suppose they're talking about?") voices of two teenagers just beyond the other side of the door, struggling to listen in. ("Shh! I think they've stopped talking for now.")

"Well?" Naruto interrupts, "Am I allowed to go now?"

She sighs. "You're impossible."

"I know."

-----

_two. _white space.

He knew when Sakura started glancing at Sasuke every other minute and when Sasuke started carrying her books, her bag, her _purse,_ that Naruto'd eventually become, in fact, the third wheel. The thing about third wheels was that tricycles were tacky and other 3-wheeled things were either unbalanced or ugly. Given his fondness for orange, his idea of ugly was way, way worse than Ino's.

He expected Sasuke and Sakura to hold hands with each other and do other couple-y things that he'd seen people do sooner or later; he supposed that he should start getting used to walking home from school alone. It was a lonely, dreadful thought. He bought himself three boxes of ramen for those nights when he'd have to cheer himself up.

When Sasuke and Sakura walked into class one day with their pinkies loosely intertwined and a shy gap between the two, however, Naruto couldn't help but frown at their actions for all the wrong reasons.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sakura smiled warmly at him, as per usual, and Sasuke greeted him with a simple nod. An odd shade of peach had lightly dabbed at their faces, and their eyes traveled everywhere but at each other; they were acting like five-year-olds with their first crushes. Which they were -- first crushes, first loves. At seventeen years of age.

In response, Naruto growled and slammed his palms on his desk. His abrupt movement surprised the two, and the sound washed over the classroom.

"Naruto?" Sakura cautiously untangled her pinky and lifted her hand up to touch Naruto's shoulder. In a split second, Naruto grabbed her wrist mid-air and nabbed Sasuke's arm out of pure frustration.

"You -- and you." He brought Sakura and Sasuke's hands together in sync with each word, closer this time, and laced their fingers together. He backed off to admire his masterpiece of joints and flesh. "That, my children, is how you hold hands, _properly, _like any other couple out there. And you can't stand like that either!" His finger pointed rather accusingly at the space between the young couple.

The two blushed uncomfortably and gave Naruto a completely flabbergasted look.

This was how they rolled. And this was how the three walked home together: Sasuke holding Sakura's backpack, Naruto carrying his cup of ramen, and Sakura intwining her arms around her two favorite boys.


End file.
